From the outside, being a coach’s wife can look pretty simple and maybe slightly mundane.
Sure, there are Friday night lights, exciting wins, and the chance to watch my husband lead a team, which is all very exciting. I get to see these young men grow, work hard, and pull off things they never thought they could. I genuinely love that part of it.
People do not always see the rest of it. The long days, late nights, sudden schedule changes, and weekends completely dictated by football.
Between our four kids and regular family life, things get chaotic, and we usually end up figuring it out on the fly, which isn’t my personal favorite way to operate.
Then there are the moments when people say things about my husband that are just plain wrong. Whether it's something small like bleacher talk about playing time or questioning a decision, it never feels good. Sometimes I want to step in and defend him. I want to say, "You have no idea how much time he spends on this or how deeply he cares about these kids."
Most of the time, I stay quiet, keep my head up, and move on. I know who my husband is, how hard he works, and what kind of coach he is. That is what counts.
Whenever I can, I step in to help the program, whether that means volunteering at games or taking care of the small details behind the scenes. I do it because I want the players and their families to have a great experience. Recently, we had the entire varsity team over for dinner. Hosting that many players with four kids already in the house is a lot of food and a lot of noise, but listening to them laugh, eat, and just be high schoolers made every bit of effort worth it.
Hearing a simple "thank you" from them and their parents goes a long way. There are so many amazing boys and families in this football program that truly lift my family up with their gratitude and support.
Coaching is not just about Friday nights, and being a coach's wife is not just sitting in the stands. It is about supporting my husband, being flexible with our family routine, and being there when things get stressful.
I do not look for recognition. I just want the players to be proud of their program, and I want my husband to know I am in his corner.
There are plenty of quiet sacrifices along the way, but when you watch the team succeed and see the impact on these kids, you remember why you do it. At the end of the day, this whole season of life will eventually just be a collection of moments we look back on.
When those days come, I want to be able to look back and know that I gave it my absolute all.
This space is about supporting the women behind the sidelines. We’ve created a few favorite wear-on-repeat pieces inspired by this life, just in case you want to check them out!